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GEORGE; W. MARTIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Letters .Patent No. 80,555, dated August 4,1 1868.

IMPBOVED BOOT AND SHOE AND CLOG EUR THE FEET.

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TO WHOM IT'MA'Y OONCERN:

Be it known that I, GEORGE -W. h'IARTIN, et' the cityoi Boston, in the county of Sulolk,and State of Massachusetts, have, as I believe, invented new and useful Improvements in Detachable Heels for Boots, Shoes, and Clogs for the Feet; and I do hereby declare the following to be a fiill and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings that4 accompany and form a part of these specifications, in which-J Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe heel inverted. I

Figure 2, the two parts ofthe heel detached, showing dove-tailed tongue-andgr`oove and metallic springs.

Figure 3, sectional View vof heel, shown in iig. 1, cut on line 1 2.

Figure 4, plan of the two'conneeting faces of the two parts of a heel, with a modification of the method-oi` holding thcnu'together. I v

Figure 5, sectional view on line 344, showing manner of connecting A B.

Figure 6, view of elastic adjustable heel-plates: 1, appearing in ordinary form; 2, as compressed for4 smaller heel.

Figure 7, another form of adjustable heel or sole-plate. l

The object of my invention is `to provide a heel for boots 'and shoes that may have its main wearing parts readily detached in order that new ones may be supplied and readily applied and adjusted; and also to allow the interchange of the two detachable parts of the two heels when the irregular wear of their surface may` render such change advisable; and uioreover to afford opportunity to persons purchasing to suit themselves as to the height of heel, as all of the same size would correspond, and detachable parts of various heights and widths could be with great readiness supplied and fitted.

The method of carrying my device into practice isV as follows:

Letter A represents the base of a boot or shoe-heel, with a dove-tail groove, g.

Letter B, the top part of the heel, detachable, and supplied with tongue h, to correspond to and just ll the `groove g:

Letters c e, two'small metallic springs, placed in suitable recesses for them in the part B.

Letter cl, another spring, similar, and inv the tongue h on the part B.

Letters e e, recesses in A, into which the springs ce expand, and thus retain the part B in place.

Letterjjwa recess in the groove g to receive the bow of the spring d. i

In fig. 4 the springs e c are left oli' and the grooveg widened slightly, as seen at it', and the tongueh swelled at jj to correspond. i

Letter c,'an elastic projection on the tongue k.

Letter l, adepression iu the groove gto receive the expansion ofthe projection It.

Letter m represents an elasticheel-plate, so constructed as to he compressible or expansible, as may be seen in iig. 6, to fit heels .of various sizes.

Letter n, a style oi` adjustable plate that may be used upon the heel, on the toe, or other part of the sole.

In manufacture, the two parts A and B may be maclepof any suitable material, drm or elastic, or the base, A, may be of firm material, and the detachable part B of elastic material, thus, in addition to the qualities hereinbefore mentioned, securing an elastic heel.

`The manner of sliding the two parts et' the heel together may be readily understood from the drawings. The springs c c and d, made of metal or any other suitable material, closing into the recesses e e andf, act-to retain the part B in place. v

When the structure oi' the groove g and tongue his that shown in iig. 4, the part B is made, either in whole or in part, of elastic materiel, so, when this part is being carried to its proper place inthe heel, the swelled sides jj ofthe tongue h may be compressed so as to'oer no `objectionable obstruction to their passage between the l' jaws O O, and will, onthe part` B reaching its normal position, expand and ll closely the widened space at z' z', and keep the part B firmly in place.

If thought necessaryythe projection k may be used alsoras this fitting into the recess l will aid in retain-- ing the removable part of the heel, and may be a metal spring, or may be of elastic material, which would expand to fill the recess Z.

With this arrangement of holding the parts together, the base, A, may be of firm or elastic material, or in Vpart of both.

It may be said also of B', that the main portion can be of some suitable firm material, as leather or wood, and the sides of the tongue L at jj made of sonic elastic material, to provide for the compression and expansion, or the whole of the tongue 7L may beV made of elastic material, and may have an additional means of contraction and expansion by being provided with the slots pp. These will allow a heel-piece, B, greatercompression, and if at any time the tongue h should be found to movc too easily in the groove g, these slotsp pmay' be illedV with any suitable material, so as to expand the tongue laterally throughout this portion of it, and thus cause the sides j-j to bear with sufeient force against When the whole of the part B is made of elastic material, thc slotspp may extend deep into the body thereof, as illustrated in tig. 5. i

Theadjustable heel and sole-pieces m and n, shown in figs. 6 and 7, may be of rhbber or any elastic material, and attached in any suitable manner.. i

The contractible and expansible qualities of these plates provide for fitting readily with but few patterns, and almost endless variations in the contour of heels and soles.

One of these plates, m, may bc seen in place on the heel in iig. 1.

I am aware that elastic heels have been made heretofore; I d`o not claim these broadly. Y

I know also that springs of various forms have been used in connection with detachable heel-pieces; the use of these broadly, I do not claim.

My springs are self-adjusting, requiring no touching of the hand or any other force, either when the part B is being put on or removed. I

These springs retain the parts B in place,vnot only by having their swelledvor bow parts drop into the recesses e, e, andf, but by causing the sides of the tongue and groove to press firmly upon each other, and thus occasion much friction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Uniting the two partsA and B, of a bot or shoe-heel by means of tongue and groove h and y, when provided with self-adjusting retaining-springs, c c, either with or without the spring el, for the purposes specified.

' 2. The tongue and groove h and g, when formed withl the receding sides z'z', and swelled sides jj, when constructed and attached, as described, either withv or without the projection lc and openingspp, as and for the purposes set fosth.

3. The elastic adjustable pieces m and n, in use either -upon heel or sole of boot or shoe, as specified and set forth.

4. The tongue h and groove g, in application to the heel of a boot or shoe, substantially in the manner illustrated, and for the purposes described and set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, GEO. W. MARTIN. Witnesses:

D. C. Conny,

A; M'. BACON. 

